CUTOUT PASS
Winless Titans keeping cool on making mass changes
THE Titans are 0-2 and bold pre-season hopes are quickly being washed away.
Yet the NRL club are maintaining a level head about things, with coach Garth Brennan sticking with the same 17 who failed to get the job done against Cronulla last weekend.
The challenge only goes up a notch on Sunday at ANZ Stadium in Sydney where Gold Coast face a red-hot Rabbitohs side who have roared to a 2-0 start.
Worryingly the Titans have only scored six points from their two matches but new halves pairing AJ Brimson and Ryley Jacks will get another crack in their playmaking roles as injured halves Ash Taylor (groin) and Tyrone Roberts (achilles) continue their recovery.
Centre Dale Copley is looking to return from a calf injury and was named on the extended bench
Jai Arrow will be looking to back up from a career-best performance in last weekend’s loss to Cronulla, where he racked up 280m and four tackle breaks.
Young props Moeaki Fotuaika and Max King have also retained their spots on the bench, with the former insisting he’s keeping things simple amid the side’s form slump.
“As much as I’m disappointed in our losses, I feel so blessed to be out there every week,” he said.
“I’m really loving it but we could do with a couple more wins. I want to play as best as I can so the team can win.
“I need to lose that focus of just being in the 17 and I probably need to target more in, regardless of where I am, I want to play the best I can for the club and hopefully put the team on the front foot.”
GREG Inglis has revealed he is likely to abandon his planned move to fullback as he battles to recover from a shoulder injury to face the Gold Coast.
The South Sydney skipper is in doubt for Sunday’s NRL clash with the Titans at ANZ Stadium after being troubled in the Rabbitohs’ win over St George Illawarra last week.
Scans this week cleared him of any major injury.
However, the Queensland star, 32, said he would have to wait until at least tomorrow to make a call on his fitness.
“It’s probably just I’m over 30, just playing week in and out,” Inglis said.
“I think I just stretched it. I hurt it a little bit but there’s not too much damage.
“I went for a scan and nothing really bad showed up.”
Should Inglis fail to be passed fit to face the Titans, young gun Corey Allan is likely to come into Wayne Bennett’s 17.
Inglis has started the year at right centre but in the preseason said he would spend the first handful of rounds in the three-quarterline – as he recovers from a knee injury – before moving to his preferred position of fullback.
But that shuffle appears to be off.
Inglis said his shoulder problem and the form of Alex Johnston at No.1 had convinced him to stay in the outside backs.
“After the weekend with my shoulder we’ll sit and wait,” Inglis said.
“We’ve still got another 22 rounds to go, we’re not too sure yet.
“AJ (Johnston) is doing a great job and he’s just bossing me there.
“He’s getting an understanding of what it takes to be a fullback and the more I see AJ grow, the more likely I’ll leave him there.”
Inglis, who has announced he will retire at the end of 2020, said he still desired to play fullback but predicted it wouldn’t happen this year.
“Most likely (Johnston will remain at fullback) the way he’s playing and the way he’s understanding the game,” Inglis said. “The only thing I can do from here on in is help him with his positional stuff.
“There definitely is a desire (to play fullback) but seeing Alex back there, he’s growing and he’s young.”